Improvement in saturated sheathings for roofing



- which the old materials cannot NITED STATES PATENT rare- ILLIAM 'H. RANKIN, on ELI BETH; NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN SATUR'ATED SHEATHINQSFOR ROOFING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205,135. dated June 18, 1878; application filed May 16, 1878.-

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM H. RANKIN,

of Elizabeth,in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Saturated Sheathingsfor' 'felt saturated with acomposition of matter consisting of the ingredients herein specified in substantially the proportions set forth-that is to say, of rosin, one hundred pounds; of dead-oil, (also called heavy oil,) eighteen gallons; sugar of lead, three pounds; sulphuric .acid, (liquid,) two ounces; mineral substance, such as Lehigh metallic or Princes metallic paint, pulverized, onehundred and fifty pounds and upward.

The dead-oil or heavy oil, above mentioned, consists of the various chemical substances that pass over and are condensed during the process of distilling coal-tar in the usual way down to a point at which the residuum left in the still is the thick black mass known in the market as coattar pitch. distilled is also known as gastar, and is produced at the gas-works in-large quantities during the manufacture of the illuminating gas commonb;- "used in lighting cities.

Roofing paper, felt, &c., have for many years been saturated with this coal-tar, and so saturated they have been extensively used for roofing purposcs,'for sheathings, for protect ing merchandise from moisture during transportation or storage, and for divers other. purposes; but their unpleasant odor, dirty black color, and tarrysurtaces have always been ob jectionable features, and have prevented their use for many purposes for'which their waterproof and. durable qualities would otherwise have recommended them.

My new material is free from all of these objections, and for any purpose is fully as desirable as the coal-tar-saturated materials, while it is also well adapted to many uses to be put. Be-

sides, my new material can be painted with any of the ordinary colors in use at any time, and the paint will not be in any way afi'ectcd The coal-tar so by the saturating material, whereas, until the coal-tar-saturated paper has become weatherworn, old, and the ordinary paints, if put upon its surface, will speedily be discolored by reason of the coal-tar or some of its constituents striking through.

To make mynew composition, I heatthe rosin in a suitable kettle puntil it becomes liquid, then add the dead-oil, the acid, the sugar of lead, and the mineral. The sugar of lead performs the ofiice of a, drier, and the acid tends to effect a closer union of the resin and oil.

A convenientmethod of using the mixture as a saturating material is to provide the vessel in'wh'ich it is heated with suitable guiding rods or rollers, over or around which continuous sheets of the paper to be saturated maybe conducted through the mixture, and then, by

passing the paper between a pair of revolvin horizontal compressionrollers placed over or near the caldion, squeeze out the surplus ma terial. 7

My mixture also makes a very good, durable,

and cheap paint for use on any character of rooting, or on rough wood or iron work, and

for such purposes the proportion of mineral maybe somewhat increased, and it is also well 'to increase the proportion of the drier. In such uses it need not be heated after the nnxing is completed.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new-and desire to secure by Letters Patent V i 1. As a new article of manufacture, roofing paper or felt saturated with a composition. consisting of dead-oil, rosin, an acid, a drier, and mineral substance, combined in substantially the proportions above set forth.

2. The above-described composition'otimatter, consisting of rosin, dead-oil, sugar of-lead,

sulphuric acid, and mineral substance, united in substantially the proportions above statedw. H. RANKIN. Witnesses v J os. S. MICHAEL, H. M. WHITBECK,

practically worthless, any of 

